Nuclear clocks are finally ticking
Researchers from TU Wien and Tsinghua University have successfully developed the world's first operational nuclear clocks using thorium-229 nuclei. These clocks offer unprecedented precision by utilizing nuclear transitions rather than electron transitions.
Why it matters
This breakthrough in quantum metrology could lead to significantly more accurate timekeeping and new methods for testing fundamental laws of physics.
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The world’s most precise clocks currently keep time using electrons. A laser excites electrons between two energy levels, and the atoms’ response tells the laser whether its frequency has drifted, akin to a clock gaining or losing time. The laser adjusts accordingly, probes the atoms again, and the loop repeats, setting a stable rhythm for the clock. The best optical atomic clocks are so accurate that they would gain or lose just 1 s in hundreds of billions of years, making their extraordinarily stable frequencies helpful for precision measurements and testing fundamental physics.
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